'SNL': Don Cheadle Reveals His Favorite Sketches Ahead of Hosting Gig

'Janitor Interview'

Cheadle's first pick is a skit from SNL's very first season. In 1975, Richard Pryor played a man interviewing for a janitorial job with Chevy Chase. In it, Chase gives him a word-association test, listing progressively more and more offensive racial slurs. In response, Pryor calls out insults to white people, culminating in Chase saying the N-word.

"Dead Honky," Pryor replies darkly. He gets the job.

"If you haven't seen it, please watch it," Cheadle said. "It's ground-breaking TV."

Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child

via GIPHY

Chuckling, Cheadle also remembered a 1978 skit where Dan Aykroyd played Julia Child. The actor sprayed fake blood all over the set, including on the food he was working on.

"Never have you seen anyone bleed this profusely," Cheadle said. "It's the first time I think they ever did this kind of gag, so it's fantastic."

Eddie Murphy as James Brown, 'Hot Tub'

via GIPHY

"Eddie Murphy, James Brown, Hot Tub," Cheadle said. "I mean, Eddie Murphy, James Brown, what else do you need?"

The skit in question aired during Season 9 in 1983, and featured Murphy tentatively circling a hot tub on stage. It aired in 1983 during Season 9 of the show.

Jerry Seinfeld and Will Ferrell's Interrogation Scene

Cheadle also noted a 1999 skit when Jerry Seinfeld hosted, and he and Will Ferrell broke character during an absurd physical skit.

"I love them breaking at the end, but the whole thing is just bananas, and hilarious," he said.

The skit is from Season 25 of SNL.

Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley's Chip and Dale Competition

via GIPHY

Finally, Cheadle shouted out the 1990 skit where Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze faced off in a mock Chippendales competition, slowly disrobing as they danced on stage. As far as Cheadle is concerned, "Chris Farley actually won."

The skit aired in SNL's 16th Season.

Cheadle's Fandom

Cheadle is in the perfect generation for SNL fandom. Born in 1964, he likely grew up with the original cast as a young man, watching Chevy Chase, Dayn Aykroyd, John Belushi and Laraine Newman, among others. He then would have been a young adult in the prime of his own career when cast members like Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo took over.

Cheadle and the Cast

Cheadle may not have hosted SNL before, but he has worked with some of the shows most iconic cast members. This includes Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in a classic appearance on 30 Rock. In it, Cheadle played himself in an ad for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. He had been paid $10 million for the screentime by Jack (Baldwin,) but that didn't stop him from choking back bile as he read the script.

Cheadle's First Skit

Cheadle got an early start as SNL host, starring in a skit that served as a promo for his episode. The short tease featured Cheadle and Alex Moffat as buddy cops in a classic 1970s movie set-up, with lots of physical gags and fourth wall breaking.

Cheadle takes the stage officially tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.